Blackboard



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M. E. CONVERSE.

BLAGKBOARD.

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UNITED STATES MORTON E. CONVERSE, OF VINCHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLACKBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,214, dated November 20, 1888.

Application filed April 19, ISSS. Serial No. 271,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mon'roN E. CONVERSE, a citizen of the United States, residing in lVinchendon, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lniproved Blackboard; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My improvements relate to portable blackboards mounted upon a folding stand.

My invention consists, first, in the means by which the blackboard may be placed and supported either in an upright or a nearly-horizontal position, like a desk; in the combination,with the changeable blackboard,of a tray and hinged shelf, which are always held 11pright and retain crayons or other articles placed in or on the same, in either position of the blackboard,and require no adjustment, and in the construction whereby the stand, blackboard, tray, and shelf may be all folded together compactly for transportation or when simply to be laid aside, all substantially as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l representsa top view of the entire article, the blackboard being in its desk-like position; Fig. 2, a vertical section ofthe same from front to rear; Fig. 3, a similar section of the same with the blackboard in an upright position; Fig. 4, a similar' section of the same, the parts all being folded together; Fig. 5, a view show-` ing the construction of one of the frame and blackboard joints; Fig. 6, a View of one of the frame-braces and supports separately.

Like letters designate corresponding in all of the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the blackboard proper; B, the supporti ng-f rame; (l, the tray, and D the shelf.

The .blackboard proper is mounted in a frame, the side pieces, a a, of which extend beyond a cross-bar, b, at the bottom or rear part of the board, anda second cross-bar, c, connects the extreme bottom or rear ends of the side pieces and forms the rear side or the bottom of thetray,according to the position of the blackboard. A board or strip, d, is placed between the sides and bar c to form a partial parts (No model.)

cover to the tray when the blackboard is in the desk position, and the back side of the tray when the blackboard is in an upright position. A board or strip,f, issecured upon the sides a a opposite to the said strip d to form a part of the bottom of the tray when the blackboard is in the desk position, and of the front side of the tray when the blackboard is in an upright position. To the edge of this strip f is hinged orjointed one edge of the shelf D, which laps over the sides a a and is free to swing away therefrom on its hinges. This shelf forms part of the bottom of the tray when the blackboard is in its desk position, the tray then being enlarged to include the whole space between the crossbars b and c; but when the blackboard is turned up into its upright posi tion the tray proper sinks below the shelf, while the shelf itself retains its nearly-hori` zontal upright position in both positions ofthe blackboard, so that crayons and other articles are not thrown from the shelf by the turning of the blackboard up and down. The free edge of the strip d is or may be cut away, as at c, to allow the free insertion of the hand to take anything ont of the tray.

The frame B is made with two pairs of legs, g g and h h, the frontpair, g g, being connected near the lower ends by a round, t', so that they will swing together, andv the rear pair, h h, being not only connected by a round, j, near the bottom, but by another round, lr, nearer the top, so that the legs may not spread apart at either end.

Around or at the round 7c two braces, F F, are generally pivoted at their lower or rear ends. The two pairs of legs are pivoted to gether at their upper ends on each side of the article, and the sides of the blackboard are pivoted to the legs near the same points. As shown specially in Fig. 5, l prefer to perform this double pivotingby means of bearing-straps G G, one on each side of the article, there being two pivots, ZZ, one for each leg, near the ends of each strap,'and athird pivot, m, for the blackboard, near the middle of the same. By this construction the pivot-connections of the parts are simple and cheap.

The front and rear pairs of legs are held at the proper distance apart for supporting the blackboard firmly by means ol' the two braces IOO , (shown in Figs. 2 and 3) in the legs.

-F F, pivoted tothe rear pair, as above set forth. A side pin, n, Figs. 2 and 6, on each brace is adapted to enter a hole, as at o, Fig. l, of the adjacent front 1eg,and thus holds the leg separated at the proper distance from and angle to the rear leg adjacent thereto. These braces F F also serve other purposes besides holding the legs in proper relation to each other. rIhus the ends of the shelf D are supported by the forward upper ends of the braces, as shown in Fig. 3. The shelf preferably rests in notches p p in the ends of the braces, and thereby also securely hold the braces from becoming disengaged from the front legs. The sides of the blackboard are also supported by the forward ends of these braces, as shown in Fig. 2, when it is in its desk position, the shelf D being then drawn back from the ends of the braces, but still being supported thereby. Again, there is a pin or projection, r, projecting from the upper side of each brace in the right-position for the lower end of the blackboard to bear against when it is in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 3, the blackboard being inclined back a little, as shown, so as to be held in position firm and steady. The blackboard is twosided, lone side being upward when it is in its desk position and the other side being in front when it is in its upright position.

When the article is to be folded for transportation or to be laid aside, the pins an of the braces are disengaged from the front legs of the support, there being sufficient play at the pivots of the braces to alloT it, and then the braces are swung down inside of the rear.

legs, and preferably locked there in position by having the same pins a a enter holes s s All the parts are then free to be folded together, as

oted in the support and adapted to kbe placed either in a vertical or nearly-horizontal position, and braces pivoted to the legs and adapted to hold the legs properly separated and to support the blackboard in its nearly-horizontal position, substantially as herein specified.

2. A pivoted blackboard having a tray formed in a rear or bottom extension of its frame, and a shelf hinged or pivoted to the tray, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. The combination of a pivoted blackboard, two pairs of supporting-legs pivoted together at their upper ends, and a pair of braces pivoted to the rear pair of legs and adapted to be coupled to the front pair of legs and to support at their forward ends the blackboard in its desk position,substantially as herein specified.

fi. The combination of a pivoted or swinging blackboard, a tray located in the rear or bottom part of its frame,a shelf hinged or pivoted at one side of the tray, two pairs of supporting-legs pivoted together, and braces adapted to hold the pairs of legs properly separated and to support at their' forward ends the blackboard and shelf, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In combination with a pivoted or swinging blackboard,front and rear supporting-legs pivoted together, braces adapted to hold the front and rear legs properly separated, and provided with pins or projections against which the rear or bottom edge of the blackboard bears when in an upright position, sub. stantially as herein set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. f

MORTON E. CONVERSE.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT L. MAsoN, LETTIE E. KEMP. 

